Tangled Universes
by OwlEyes112
Summary: When two universes collide, everything is thrown into chaos. Transformers Prime/Robots in Disguise. One-sided Knockout x Breakdown. Original characters included. Future chapters to be added.
1. Chapter 1

Knockout smiled, looking down at the human below him. He knelt slowly, trying not to frighten his small prisoner.

"Hello there, little one. Can you understand me?"

"Yep. Loud and clear, creep. Although I really don't want to."

The creature was surprisingly loud for such a tiny thing. Knockout's smile faltered, but then he laughed good-naturedly. "It's alright. I can understand why you might be confused."

"I'm not confused. I'm just really mad, con. And if I don't get answers _right now,_ guess who's gonna get it?"

Knockout could tell his laughter was aggravating the poor thing, and he tried to hold it in as best as he could. "No one here is going to hurt you. We're just looking for information. Can you remember anything?"

"You know what? I'm tired of talking to you." The human appeared to turn and try to crawl away from him, in spite of its extensive injuries.

Knockout rolled his optics. "Sheesh. So much for the good-cop approach." He scooped the fleshy alien up with ease and strode from the room, wiping the moist mist from his headlights.

His captive squirmed, screamed, and acted like a complete sparkling. Knockout wasn't really surprised. They all acted very…small. Knockout snickered at his little joke, and squeezed without thinking. The human squeaked in pain and lay still. Knockout cursed in the language of the Primes, and examined his patient with care. Nothing seemed to be broken, but his sensors had noticed a strange difference in temperature. Knockout fixed his optics on a glint of silver. Was it a weapon?

No. It was something very, very different.

Knockout's mouth fell open, and he reached for his com link instantly.


	2. Chapter 2

Breakdown was watching a trail of softly transparent clouds that hovered, level with the warship. He wanted to touch them, wanted the feeling of air and moist water on him. He wanted rain, and mud. They were some of the things he enjoyed most about this bot-forsaken planet.

Breakdown loved to get dirty.

The medbay's door opened with a hiss, and Knockout strode in, looking preoccupied. Breakdown smiled, watching his distracted partner with affection. He felt warm Energon rising to his face plate, and turned away before Knockout might notice him blushing.

"What—" Breakdown cleared his throat. "What's up, Doc?"

Knockout didn't even glance at him, instead laying something small and distinctly squishy-looking on the surgery table. Breakdown clomped over to have a closer look, shaking the floor with his heavy strides. He was so much taller than Knockout he could look over his shoulder to see the ugly little creature.

Breakdown shuddered. "What in the Pits of Keon is that?"

"That, my dear Breakdown, would be a human." Knockout drawled, his emergently smooth voice once again capturing all of Breakdown's attention.

"Do they all look that…?" Breakdown struggled to find an adequate word. "Hideous?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Knockout admitted, resting his clawed servos on the edges of his hips with a distinctly feminine air. "But this particular alien is different from the usual specimens we have seen roaming around."

He gestured to the thing's right…limb.

Breakdown squinted. "What's that?"

"Metal, you uneducated scrapling!" Knockout snapped, making Breakdown flinch dumbly. "The organism is obviously contaminated with metal, albeit human-tampered metal."

"Uh…so?"

Knockout looked up at Breakdown, craning his neck slowly. Breakdown swallowed loudly when their eyes met, and his large servos started to tremble so hard he placed them behind his back.

"So…" Knockout said, with almost painful slowness. "This animal defies everything we know about humans. The theory that they could be infusing themselves with material that is the basic concept of our very beings was once thought to be impossible."

Breakdown nodded. Then he blinked. "And…?" He asked.

Knockout smiled, and the smile twisted his face slightly. "Come here," he ordered softly.

Breakdown leaned down, making himself level with his beautifully lustrous partner.

"A little closer," Knockout purred, still smiling.

Breakdown was sweating slightly, but he moved his head until it was inches from Knockout's lips. Knockout leaned in too, looking as if he was about to kiss Breakdown's audio receptors.

"The theoretical possibility of this conception being true," he whispered against Breakdown, "would at the very least cause a shift in the war between Megatron and Optimus Prime."

"And at the most?" Breakdown whispered back.

"Well, at the very most…" Knockout paused. "IT COULD DESTROY EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS AND ENDANGER THE AWAKENING OF CYBERTRON! NOW GET OUT AND REPORT TO MEGATRON WHILE I EXAMINE THIS ABOMINATION, YOU HALF-BRAINED MALFUNCTIONING CERVO-CIRCUIT!"

Breakdown leapt back, stumbling over a canister of antiseptic and crashing into the computer dash board. Straightening up and shaking like a leaf, he squeaked, "Yes Knockout!" And dashed away.

Knockout sighed, throwing himself dramatically across his surgeon table. "Why? Why am I surrounded by morons, all the time?" He moaned.

"Maybe because they're attracted to like-minded people," the alien suggested.

Knockout shrieked, leaping up and scooting away from the table as fast as he could. "Scrap!" he snarled. "I forgot about you. Filthy squishy pest."

"Why, thank you. You look positively putrid as well, Decepticon."

Knockout rinsed his hands in sanitizing energon, and looked over his tools with undisguised pleasure. "I've always wanted to try the equalizer," he murmured, picking it up delicately and running his servos over the handle. "But it was too brittle and weak for Autobot skin. With something as weak as you, however…"

"If you touch me with that…that…whatever the heck it is, I'll make you regret coming to Earth!"

"Yes, yes," Knockout yawned, striding over to it and leaning down to run an icy servo over its body. "Well, as much as I like to see innocent creatures in pain, you won't be awake to witness the experience. Night night, you little horror."

He stabbed her expertly with a syringe that contained liquidized energon. "And since human nervous systems and energon don't mix," he concluded softly, "I'm betting that's going to hurt like slag when you wake up."

And with that, Knockout began to cut into the alien's arm.


	3. Chapter 3

Breakdown was still trying to calm his own spark down. He kept cursing himself. Stupid. Stupid! Why was he so stupid? The answer came to him easily. Because Breakdown was a wreaker. He built things. He broke things. He smashed Bulkhead. He scarfed Energon. He went on missions with…with Knockout. Knockout. Clever, proud, beautiful Knockout. Knockout, who was intelligent. Knockout, who was a doctor. Knockout, who deserved so much more than Breakdown.

Breakdown tried to crush his feelings. He tried to bury them deep inside him, and hope they became so lost they'd never resurface.

Don't think. Don't feel. Just get the job done, and get it done right. Protect Knockout, and wait for orders.

Breakdown was terrible with words, but that didn't mean he was dumb.

And yet, around Knockout…he felt like the most insignificant bot in the world.


	4. Chapter 4

Bumblebee was this _close_ to using very _unl_ eader-like violence on his teammates.

He'd come back from a scouting trip with Grimlock, and what did he find waiting for him?

Sideswipe and Strongarm fighting. Again. Except this time it really had gone beyond words.

"Incompetent, rebellious, hopeless in the field-you're a mess!" Strongarm was lecturing Sideswipe, who as usual wasn't listening.

Sideswipe rolled his bright blue optics, and fended off her anger-induced tackles with difficulty. "Well _maybe_ if you'd get off my bumper once in a while, I'd get something done! But nooooo, all you can do is criticize me."

"You defy regulations at every turn, disrespect Bumblebee and every other member of this team, manipulate Fix-It, and now you're asking me to loosen your leash?"

Bumblebee tried to remember what Optimus would have done. But in truth, nothing like this had ever happened with Arcee, or Bulkhead…so why was Bumblebee's team so dysfunctional? Was it his fault? Was he not a strong enough leader?

A strange, sucking-like sound resonated from behind him, followed by a bright flash. Bumblebee turned casually, and froze like an autobot in the arctic.

It was a space bridge.

A space bridge had just opened in the middle of their rather sad scrap yard base.

"Sideswipe! Strongarm! Enough."

"But she started it!"

"No I didn't, you punk."

Bumblebee glared at them. "Shut up and _look_."

Sideswipe turned and glared, only to drop his jaw in shock. Strongarm shoved him over to get a better look, her optics widening in disbelief.

"No," they whispered softly in unison.

Bumblebee watched the portal uncertainly, but no one appeared. Was it a sign? He looked skywards.

Optimus?

"Where does this one lead?" Sideswipe asked, unsheathing his swords almost nervously.

Bumblebee sighed. "Only one way to find out."

"Sir!" Strongarm yelped. "You can't seriously be thinking of walking into an unidentified space bridge alone, can you?"

"Not at all, Strongarm." Bumblebee smiled. "Can I trust you to be by my side?"

Strongarm hesitated, then saluted. "Yes sir!"

"Well, I'm not stayin' behind," Sideswipe said, as if that ended the discussion. But Bumblebee didn't protest. He needed his team.

"Grimlock?" he spoke into his com link. "I need to you stay here with Fix-It and Russel. We're going to check something out."

"Alright," Grimlock grumbled. "I'm a little tired from that last scouting trip anyway."

"Good Dinobot."

Bumblebee turned and squared his soldiers.

I'm trusting you, Optimus.

Then, as a team, the Autobots walked through the portal together.


	5. Chapter 5

Knockout yelled in frustration, throwing his examiner across the room.  
This didn't make any sense! What did it take to pry this miserable creature open?

He'd gotten almost a third of the way through the alien's metal arm before he'd hit an impenetrable barrier. There seemed to be a massive core that prohibited him entrance. Knockout had used all his force to no avail. As much as he hated to admit it, he was stuck.

And he'd need the advice of another Doctor.

Shockwave leaned over the medical table, poking and prodding at the thing with his tools.

"How long has the victim been sedated?"

"It's not a _victim_ ," Knockout whined. "It's an _experiment."_

Shockwave looked up at him, and Knockout shrunk instinctively. "About two half-cycles."

Shockwave ran a servo along the place that separated organic skin from metal, and seemed to sigh. "The engineering is masterful."

Knockout sighed too, but in boredom. "Yes yes, we all know how fascinated you are with medical...stuff. But have you noticed its polish? The whole thing is an absolute mess!"

Shockwave gestured for the tool that Knockout currently held, and Knockout handed it to him reluctantly.

Knockout realized something as his fellow scientist examined the creature further- he was infinitely jealous. Shockwave was wonderfully accurate and precise, and he had the skills that Knockout had never managed to grasp. Knockout had hoped that this jealousy would inspire him to be greater than his successor, but he found he could only be in awe of Shockwave. Plus, his polish-Knockout shivered. _Pristine._

"Knockout, could you hand me that receptical?"

Knockout jumped, startled. As he scrambled for the instrument, he pondered what had made him so shocked. Then it came to him-Shockwave had _asked_. Not demanded, or required. Asked. _Nicely_.

Knockout wasn't sure how he felt about that.


	6. Chapter 6

"And you're sure the human is in containment, Breakdown?"

Breakdown bowed his head beneath Megatron's red gaze. "Yes, my Lord. Knockout is examining it now."

Megatron nodded and gazed out the window, his wide shoulders turning with his movements. Breakdown looked up, thinking his escape from punishment too good to be true.

He had expected Megatron to be unsatisfied with this message, or simply scoff and turn away. But Megatron had seemed preoccupied throughout the entirety of Breakdown's report, and now he turned to him with a much stranger command.

"Breakdown, I want you to keep an eye on Starscream."

"My Lord?"

"He's been acting very…unusual lately. I suspect he is planning another rebellion." Megatron sighed, but whether in annoyance or damp amusement, Breakdown didn't know. "See to it that he's kept under close supervision."

"Yes, Master."

Breakdown rose from his knees and exited the control bridge, still largely confused. Starscream? What could possibly be the problem with the Seeker this time? Breakdown didn't have time to go chasing after that stiletto-heeled creep! Not while he was so distracted with thoughts of his partner. Still, maybe a break from the lab was the key to clearing his thoughts of all of this.


	7. Chapter 7

Bumblebee had stepped into darkness, his team following him loyally. He could tell they had entered somewhere large, maybe an industry or factory. It smelled of oil and energon, and what sounded like an enormous engine groaned in the background.

"Turn your visuals on," Bumblebee ordered, and clicked on his front headlights. Sideswipe and Strongarm did the same.

When Bumblebee recognized their surroundings, he moaned. "No. No, this is impossible."

"Sir?" Strongarm asked, her gun at the ready. Sideswipe unsheathed his swords, and his facemask slid into place.

"It's the Nemesis," Bumblebee said in a voice quiet with horror.

"The what?" Sideswipe asked loudly.

Bumblebee shushed him frantically. "The warship! Megatron's warship?"

"Megatron?" Strongarm asked. "But…but he disappeared long ago, sir. In the battle for Cybertron? We learned this stuff in history class."

Bumblebee turned to her, his face replicating the confusion that she felt. "I…I don't understand it either. This entire thing was pulled apart when we were rebuilding Cybertron. It's been so long…" he trailed away, his optics grazing over the dark stone and red-lit floors.

"Does this mean Megatron's back?" Sideswipe asked, sheathing his swords. "Cool!"

"Fix-it, come in. Fix-it, can you hear me?" Bumblebee whispered into his comm link. The answering static told him they were on their own.

"Stay together," he instructed his teammates. "Do not leave my side, guys."

As they moved together down the hallway, Strongarm and Sideswipe glanced at each other questioningly.

It was the first time they'd seen Bumblebee truly scared.


	8. Chapter 8

"This metal is strong, but not unbreakable," Shock wave concluded. "I believe energon-based acid will separate it fully from the organism's flesh."

Knockout looked up from where he'd been slouching, deep in thought. "Well Doctor, how would you like to complete the procedure? Is there anything I can do to assist you?"

"It may require holding the experiment down, as we will need it conscious."

Knockout raised his optic ridges skeptically, unsure if it was really necessary to wake up the alien, or if Shockwave just enjoyed hearing the screams.

Shockwave passed a High-Grade sterilizing cloth over the creature's…scent detectors? Or was it a nose?

The ugly animal jerked, coming awake suddenly. Its eyes opened and it blinked frantically, no doubt trying to clear the dizziness.

"Ouch," it muttered.

"Told you," Knockout purred smugly.

"What?" Shockwave asked.

"Nothing," Knockout replied quickly. "Private joke."

The human pulled against its restraints, and then groaned in frustration and slumped back against medical table, fixing its eyes on its captors.

"Whoa. Twice the ugly, huh?"

"How dare you!" Knockout hissed. "You're the abomination, you little-"

"Knockout." Shockwave rested a hand on Knockout's shoulder frame, and Knockout stepped back, still fuming.

"Who's your friend?" the human asked, gesturing in Shockwave's direction. "Is he related to the cyclops by any chance?"

Shockwave leaned down and passed a scanner over the organism, prodding it with different biochemical detectors. "The alien's life signs are stabilized. We can begin the operation."

"Wait, what?" The human asked, all sarcasm gone now. "What operation?"

Knockout hid his grin behind his face mask, and began to ladle measured portions of energon into an administer. Shockwave activated a compressor, and closed the deep gashes that Knockout had previously put in the metal. He liked his experiments to be fully functional before he ripped them apart.

"Wait, stop!" The human begged. "You don't understand! If I lose my arm, I'll die!"

Knockout chuckled at the terror in its voice. How pathetic. "Whenever you're ready, Shockwave."

Shockwave grasped the measured energon and dipped his acid folder into it, swirling it carefully.

"You're making a mistake!" The thing screamed, thrashing in its bonds. "YOU NEED ME!"

"Creating contact in 3, 2…" Shockwave directed in his deep voice. Knockout turned off his audio receptors. The screaming would get boring after a while.

"Knockout! Shockwave! Report to the bridge immediately!"

Megatron's commanding voice echoed through the laboratory. Knockout, still practically bouncing with excitement, frowned when Shockwave released his instruments. "What are you doing?"

Shockwave gestured for him to turn his audio receptors back on. "Megatron has sent for us."

"Oh, come _on._ " Knockout spat. "Are you kidding me? This fleshling is _begging_ for punishment. Just one cut!"

The two auto bots exited the laboratory.

Alone on the medical table, Ava stopped pretending to hyperventilate at once. Her acting skills really did deserve a medal. But she wouldn't lie, for a minute she'd actually thought they were going to do it. She spat out a mouthful of energon-tainted saliva, and leaned back, trying to ease the tension from her body.

Now she just had to wait.  
Ava began to hum, allowing the sounds of remembered music to float through her.


	9. Chapter 9

Breakdown was still confused.

He had found Starscream almost instantly, in charge of the engine operators. He was showing Steve how to guide the back chargers forwards in a diagonal direction, ensuring that they stayed on course. Starscream hadn't changed in the slightest. Rude, boastful, and proud, he was Breakdown's least favorite Decepticon. But something told Breakdown that was mostly because he'd scratched Knockout's face plate. The thought made Breakdown grit his teeth in anger.

No one was allowed to hurt Knockout and get away with it.

Starscream howled as Steve nearly drove the spaceship into a nose dive. "Pay attention, fool!"

Steve nodded vigorously. "Y-yes sir, Commander Starscream."

Breakdown hid behind a large generator and committed himself to watching the obnoxious Seeker. What was going on in that crafty head of his? Was Starscream planning to lead the Decepticons in another rebellion? Or maybe he was going to sneak off with another stash of energon. Breakdown shuddered. Yep. Starscream was distinctly creepy, and Breakdown would only be comfortable in the commander's presence if he was punching the scrap out of him.

Steve, however, was a different matter. It was obvious he admired Starscream. Well, that was sort of an understatement. He was obsessed. And the ironic thing was, Starscream was totally oblivious. He couldn't even see he had his biggest fan two inches away from him.

Suddenly, Starscream tilted his head to the side, as though confused. Then he stood up abruptly, knocking Steve out of the way. "You've been instructed enough. I'll inspect your navigation history tomorrow." Starscream stalked from the room. Or maybe strutted was the more appropriate term. He could hardly do anything else in those strangely heeled pedes.

Breakdown smiled. Now _that_ was suspicious activity. He attempted to creep out as well, but ended up banging into the generator and falling flat on his face plate. The other Decepticons turned and stared at him.

Breakdown flushed sensitively, and tried to act casual. "Carry on, soldiers."

Then he fled after Starscream.


	10. Chapter 10

Bumblebee ducked behind another column, his Cybertronian gun in front of him defensively. Not for the first time did Sideswipe and Strongarm roll their optics at each other.

"Sir," Strongarm said. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you so tense? It's just an old ship. Probably a relic of the war days."

Bumblebee gestured for them to follow him into a shadowy storage outlet space. "You don't understand," he said quietly. "The days before Cybertron was resurrected…they were different. Most days we didn't know if we would live to see the next sunset. Megatron was no joke. He commanded legions of Decepticons, and he had powerful allies who were at least half as clever as him just by themselves. Just because he's gone doesn't mean we're safe. This isn't good."

"Come on," Sideswipe groaned. "Megatron's _gone_. Dead as dust. And even if he is alive, why would he come back to earth? Trust me, those days are past."

Bumblebee let in exhaust slowly. Maybe Sideswipe was right. Sure, they had no idea where they were, and they couldn't communicate with Fix-It to get back, and this was the ship that had contained his worst nightmares, and there was no possible explanation for what it was doing on earth, or if they were even on earth at all, because maybe the ground bridge was really a space bridge, and they were on another planet, and it was all his fault for endangering his team in the first place and—

"Sir? Sir! You're hyperventilating." Strongarm shook him frantically. "Snap out of it, alright? If you're really so upset, we promise to do everything you say, and help you get out of here. Right, Sideswipe?"

Sideswipe snapped to attention. "Uh, yeah. Absolutely."

Strongarm sighed. "You weren't listening, were you?"

"Nope. Hey, this place is really cool. Can we explore?" Strongarm and Bumblebee scowled at him. "Okay! It was just a suggestion."

"Alright," Bumblebee agreed. "Let's just try to find the exit."

But before any of them could move, sounds came from the end of the corridor. The autobots gaped at each other before ducking down behind the control panel. Two voices were growing nearer.

"What could possibly be more important than getting our servos into that human?" A voice of rich bronze growled in annoyance.

"We will have ample opportunity to experiment on the organism later, Knockout." The other voice responded, deep and resonating.

The first voice continued to complain as they passed by, and gradually faded before disappearing.

Sideswipe sighed in relief. "That was a close one. Almost scared the scrap out of me."

"Me too," Strongarm chuckled. "Who do you suppose that was?"

There was no response from their leader. Strongarm and Sideswipe turned curiously, and stared at Bumblebee.

"Commander Bumblebee?" Strongarm asked, worried.

Sideswipe's look of amusement vanished. "Are you okay?"

Bumblebee looked at them, but his optics were unfocused, and he didn't seem to be hearing them.

" _Oh no._ " he said in a low voice. " _Oh, Primus. Primus, no."_


	11. Chapter 11

Megatron surveyed his scientist and medic with a face of stone. Honestly, he might have died under all that armor and scowling, and Knockout would never know.

Knockout tried not to show his impatience. He'd been _this_ close to an extremely satisfying operation with a bot who he was hoping might become a mentor to him.

That assumed mentor in question was as silent and dignified as Megatron. Well, slag. What a bunch of stiff-corded geezers.

"I have called you here because of your noticeable absence aboard the Nemesis." Megatron turned from them to the window which showed a quickly darkening sky, tinged with dim golds and purples. "I do not object to you spending time together, but Soundwave tells me you have done nothing but bend over a medical table and play doctors. What exactly have you been doing?"

Knockout kept quiet, knowing that Shockwave, with his powerful voice and quick thinking, was probably the best at defending them.

"Lord Megatron, Knockout located a _homo sapien_ aboard the Nemesis. He took it to his laboratory and has asked me to assist him in dismantling it. We were just about to burn off its metal appendage with acid Energon."

Alright, maybe he shouldn't have left all the talking to Shockwave. He had made it sound like it was entirely Knockout's idea! Which was…true, technically.

"I am aware of the human's presence, Shockwave," Megatron said, the usual note of irritation surfacing in his voice. "Breakdown delivered a most thorough report." He paused there and glanced at Knockout with…amusement? Frustration? Knockout had no clue. "But I am confused as to how you received instructions that permitted the removal of the human's metal."

Shockwave made no response. A dignified version of panic, Knockout assumed. He decided to step in. "But my Lord, metallic properties could be potentially dangerous when laced with human D.N.A. We could be facing an entirely new species! One that was as strong as a regular Cybertronian!"

"And your ingenious plan is to remove the metal before we've discovered anything about its engineering or resources? Really Knockout, you're too smart for your own good."

Knockout looked down at his pedes uncomfortably.

"Take the human to the cells, you inferior fool!" Megatron roared.

"Yes, my Lord," Knockout muttered, turning to leave with Shockwave.

"And…"

Knockout looked up, shocked at the soft tone in Megatron's voice. "My Lord?"

Megatron's face was passive. "Spend some time with your assistant, Knockout. You neglect him."

Knockout stared, open mouthed, at his master.

 _WHAT._


	12. Chapter 12

Breakdown had lost Starscream. Slag, that Seeker was fast.

He banged into another Vehicon and apologized. One more reason to be embarrassed in Knockout's presence. The wrecker was exceedingly clumsy.

He turned a corner, no longer worried about Starscream, but deep in thought. Maybe if he found another assistant, things would be better. He cringed at the idea. Leave Knockout? No. It would break him. Knockout was so infuriatingly _perfect_. And graceful. And amazing. And…and…

Breakdown sighed. There he went again, being pathetic and sensitive. Pull it together, scrapling! You have a job to do!

He turned another corner, and banged right into Starscream. Starscream would have fallen right on his aft if Breakdown hadn't caught him awkwardly.

"Careful, you clumsy oaf!" Starscream screeched, brushing himself off. "Look where you're going."

Breakdown frowned. He had respect for many Decepticons, but Starscream was the exception. "Leave me alone," he muttered, starting to push past him. Then he stopped. Starscream!

Starscream was already heading in the other direction. Now that Breakdown watched him, he _was_ acting strange. He held himself proudly, and walked with a little bounce in his step. Was Starscream… _cheerful?_

Breakdown vowed not to lose him again, and kept a steady pace next to him. Starscream glanced at him suspiciously.

"So…" Breakdown tried, attempting to act casual. "How are you?"

Starscream stared at him. Breakdown knew that was the wrong thing to say. _How was he?_ Were they in sparkling kindergarten?

"I-I'm fine, Breakdown," Starscream stammered, clearly shocked but trying to hide it. "Uh…how are you?"

"Well enough," Breakdown countered. "Megatron treating you well?"

Now Starscream really was shocked. "M-Megatron?"

This was going badly. Breakdown tried to backpedal. "I mean, he's normally beating you up so I thought…"

"Lord Megatron is very generous, Breakdown. We must do all we can to please our Lord and follow his instructions. After all, we are all under his great mercy."

Starscream practically speed-walked into the next passage way, closing the doors behind him.

Breakdown had to sit down before he fell. Was that even Starscream speaking? He couldn't believe it. Never had such astonishing words come from the Commander's mouth as a few moments ago.

Breakdown was beginning to realize that this mission was more serious than he thought.

* * *

Knockout was pouting. And he didn't even bother to hide it.

He'd been _this_ close to trashing that filthy, rude human once and for all. The idea that the miserable creature had slipped through his clawed servos was not only disagreeable-it hurt his pride. Shockwave was perfectly at peace, of course, cleaning up the tools and sanitizing their workstation. The human was sleeping, having switched between consciousness and drugged comatose for roughly eight cycles.

Knockout was so frustrated, he nearly stamped his foot. Oh, if he could just crush the ugly alien _now_!

"Knockout, are you going to take our prisoner to the grids, or shall I?"

Knockout grunted his assent, and bitterly unlocked the thing's restraints. It would be so easy. Too easy. He could just press a finger against its chest, and push. No effort at all.

Instead, he carried it between two fingers as though holding something dead. It breathed evenly, its warm breath irritating his digit sensors. So tiny, and warm. Like a doll.

Knockout didn't realize he was hyperventilating until Shockwave cleared his throat. "Is something wrong, Knockout?"

Knockout straightened where he'd slumped against the door, and smiled dashingly. "Nothing at all, my dear scientist."

Then he strutted from the lab with his usual grace, not stopping until he'd reached the grid cells.

He had to wrap the chains twice around its body for them to even have any affect. He locked it to the wall with a large curved bar that magnetized the chains, trapping it so tightly its breathing was restricted.

"I don't know what you are," he whispered, leaning down and watching its face carefully. "But I swear I will find a way to destroy you. And you know why? Because you are the ugliest and most pathetic thing I've ever seen."

He straightened up, shaking from the cold. Or was it the cold? Looking back down at the alien with a satisfied smirk, he gasped to see that its eyes had opened. It was staring at him with pure loathing.

"Right. Back. At you." It vowed darkly, hatred twisting its features. "You disgust me, alien. All of you do. I hate you. You hear me? I hate you!"

Knockout fled from the cell, slamming the doors behind him. His spark was beating painfully inside him.

No. It hadn't been the cold.

Knockout hated that thing. He really did.


	13. Chapter 13

Bumblebee was having trouble breathing. He couldn't understand what he was seeing and hearing.

"Sir? Sir, please, pull yourself together!" Strongarm was shaking him roughly, and Sideswipe was twitching aggressively, ready for action.

Bumblebee wrenched himself from his cold panic. He owed it to his team, as the leader.

"Listen to me." His voice was trembling audibly. "Something is terribly wrong here. I don't think we're in the wrong place. I think we're in the wrong _time zone."_

As expected, his allies looked equally confused.

"None of this makes any sense, right? The ship, its good condition, or where we are on earth? And those voices…belonged to Shockwave and Knockout."

"Shockwave?" Sideswipe said, at the same time as Strongarm said, "Knockout?"

"Yes. The very same Shockwave and Knockout I fought so many Kleons ago. Except Knockout is an autobot now. The last time I saw him he was training racers for all the famous Cybertronian races. And Shockwave's either dead or hiding out in deep space. The fact that they're working together is literally impossible. We must have been transported to the nemesis in the days when it was still active."

Strongarm looked skeptical. "Well, that would make sense. But then, where are we right now? Are there different versions of us living different lives? What if we ran into ourselves?"

"I don't know. It's just a feeling." Bumblebee pulled himself together. Having an educated guess about their locations felt better than nothing. "Keep your comm lines on, in case Fix-It's line reconnects."

"We got a plan?" Sideswipe asked.

"Yep." Bumblebee smiled at him. "Get the heck out of here, and kick Con aft along the way!"

The three of them smiled at each other, and then they were running down the hallway together.

* * *

Breakdown had paused to catch his breath in an outer hallway. He ached all over from running after Starscream, crashing into slag, and running some more. If only Knockout was with him. Knockout knew how to make him smile with his dry sarcasm. Even if it was meant to insult him. Knockout was very vain and arrogant, but it only made Breakdown like him more.

Breakdown looked up, and witnessed the strangest scene he'd ever seen.

Three…autobots? Three transformers were running down the hallway towards him. He didn't recognize any of them. The one that caught his eye most was painted strawberry red, with a spiky helm. The other was blue, and brandished…a Cybertronian gun? Breakdown hadn't seen one of those since the war. The third… Breakdown blinked. Actually, this one did look familiar. He was lemon yellow, with broad shoulders and a sturdy helm. Something about those baby-blue optics that burned with determination.

"Bumblebee?" Breakdown gasped.

And then they crashed into him.

Breakdown fought as best as he could, swinging his hammer and trying to keep his optics on all three of them at once. They overpowered him though, slamming him into the warship's wall. Breakdown's hammer connected with the blue one, sending her crashing into a pillar. Then he was hit with an electric pulse, and slid to the ground completely dazed. The three transformers left him, their outlines fading in his blurry vision.

Breakdown groaned, trying to stand. He fell to his knees, and crawled forwards before vomiting a load of blue energon onto his own lap. Even as he lost consciousness, Breakdown imagined Knockout scolding him for making such a mess.

Breakdown smiled as his helm hit the floor.


	14. Chapter 14

Knockout tried to shake off his own nerves. He decided he needed a decontamination bath. He followed the smell of herbal energon to the bathing rooms. Even before he opened the door, he could hear someone in there.

Pausing to listen, he was surprised with the familiar sound of Starscream's voice, only slightly muffled by the steam of the room.

"…I don't know how much longer I can do this…" he was saying to someone. Their response was so soft Knockout couldn't hear it. "Of course not! No one can know, can't you understand? You don't realize what Decepticons are capable of…"

Knockout was curious, now. Who could Starscream be talking about, and what secret was he keeping?

"I promise," Starscream said, when the mystery robot asked him something. He sounded distinctly embarrassed. "But not now, alright? Let's just savor the time that's left."

Right then Knockout decided he would take his bath later. He backtracked quickly away from the door, turned to escape, and tripped over something bulky.

"What in the name of Prime-" Knockout gasped.

Stretched out in front of him lay Breakdown, covered in Energon and barely breathing.

Vehicons on the third level of the warship would later swear that they'd heard a faint scream ringing throughout every inch of the Nemesis.

* * *

Ava had taken a surprisingly refreshing nap, but now she was bored. The chains were, unfortunately, unbreakable, but she'd managed to squeeze her metal arm out. She felt sick with drugs, and the skin at the base of her arm throbbed with a dull pain.

What had she gotten herself into?

She sighed, and began to sing one of her favorite songs. But before she got through the third lyric, she was interrupted by a noise. Ava paused, and then continued to sing, thinking it was her imagination. The noise came again. Ava shifted nervously in her chains. There weren't rats on the ship, were there? The noise came a third time. It sounded like a soft sneeze. Tiny, really.

"Hello?" Ava called, her voice cracking from a weak lack of use.

No response. Ava craned her neck, staring into the darkness.

"Achoo!"

There was something in there with Ava. Ava shuddered. And whatever it was, it didn't plan on showing itself.

* * *

Breakdown had never felt worse in his life. His skin sparked with electric warmth, and even his innermost circuits felt fried. He opened his optics slowly, the room swimming before him like a dark cesspool of ink. When his vision cleared, Breakdown found himself looking up at the most beautiful face he'd ever seen in his life.

"Breakdown!" Knockout exclaimed, and the sound of relief in his voice was so sweet and wonderful Breakdown could hardly breathe. "I thought…" Knockout trailed away, and seemed to slip back into his professional state. "What happened?" he asked briskly, running a scanner over Breakdown.

Breakdown struggled to remember. "I…I was attacked," he muttered, his voice scratchy and low. "There were…autobots. But I didn't know any of them. At least…I don't think I do. B-but the third one…he looked like Bumblebee."

Knockout's face was expressionless. "Which way were they headed?"

"Towards the brig, I think."

Knockout nodded grimly. "I will inform Megatron immediately." He turned to stride away, and then looked back. "Breakdown…"

Breakdown looked up at him, half in wonder and half in terror. But Knockout seemed to think better of his own words, and strode from the lab. Breakdown lay back on the medical table, and tried to pull himself together. There was only one thing that ran through his head, no matter how many times he tried to shove it away.

Knockout saved his life.


End file.
